Collaboration and real-time discussion in electronically published media

ABSTRACT

A mobile device application allows a user to participate in a collaborative discussion. The collaborative discussion may allow multiple users to collaborate in a formatted discussion on a variety of topics. The collaborative discussion may be associated with media content provided through a media reader application. A user may act as an administrator to create a collaborate discussion and configure parameters or the collaborative discussion via the user&#39;s mobile device. A user may access the media content through the media reader application and provide input to the collaborative discussion in real time. The media may include an electronic book, magazine, article or other media content. The input received from the user may include a comment, vote, brainstorm content, various collaborative engagement structures or other data. The collaborative discussion may be accessed through a mobile device application or a network browser.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of and claims the priority benefit ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/645,396, titled “Collaboration andReal-Time Discussion in Electronically Published Media,” filed Oct. 4,2012, which claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional ApplicationSer. No. 61/621,962, titled “Collaboration and Real-Time Discussion inElectronically Published Media,” filed Apr. 9, 2012, and of U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/653,376, titled “Collaboration andReal-Time Discussion in Electronically Published Media,” filed May 30,2012, the disclosure of each of which is incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally concerns electronically published media.More specifically, the present invention concerns collaboration andreal-time time discussion in the context of electronically publishedmedia.

2. Description of the Related Art

Electronic books (e-books) and other electronically delivered forms ofmedia are quickly replacing traditional ‘print based’ media such asmagazines and newspapers. While the content previously offered in printbased form is still available (e.g., books, news articles, and magazinestories), new possibilities for interacting with the electronic mediaand users of that media are being made available by virtue of thedynamic nature of the media and the networked communication capabilitiesthat electronic media delivery tools such as smart phones, tablets andweb-based Internet connectivity have to offer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A illustrates a system for providing a collaboration system over anetwork.

FIG. 1B illustrates an electronic book (e-book) interface.

FIG. 2 illustrates a template for starting a discussion related to aparticular piece of electronically published content.

FIG. 3 illustrates an interface for posting discussions in differentformat.

FIG. 4 illustrates an interface for sharing discussions over any numberof communications mediums or social networks.

FIGS. 5-7 illustrate interfaces provided by a mobile devicecollaboration application for receiving input regarding a particulardiscussion.

FIG. 8 illustrates an interface for collective collaborative effort of adiscussion implemented in the context of the present invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary computing device.

FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary mobile device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention take advantage of the near constantnetwork connectivity experienced by mobile devices, smart phones, tabletand other computing devices. These devices may all be used to accesselectronically published content such as e-books, e-newspapers,e-magazines and other e-publications of various types. In addition toenjoying the ability to access dynamically updated content, thesecomputing devices and environments, with their network connectivity, mayalso be used to engage in real-time collaborations or discussionsconcerning the electronically published content. These real-timediscussions help create community, foster activity, and lead to creationof more user-tuned content selections.

Embodiments of the present invention allow users to access the sameweb-based collaboration/discussion topic that is dedicated to theparticular topic. The content from the dedicated web page may beprovided through a web browser application on a computer, mobile deviceor tablet device, as well as through a mobile device application Thecollaborative discussion data for each of topic may be accessed from aseparate dedicated network address, such as a separate website. Themedia content is stored at a remote location in one or more servers(i.e., in the “cloud”) and rendered locally at a mobile device for userparticipating in the discussion.

An embodiment may include a device for engaging in a collaborativeengagement. The device may include a processor, a memory, a media readerapplication and a collaboration application. The media readerapplication may be stored in memory and executable by the processor toreceive media content from a remote resource over a network and toprovide the media content to a user. The media content may be associatedwith media stored at a remote server. The collaboration application maybe stored in the memory and executed by the processor to accesscollaborative discussion data from a remote server for a collaborativediscussion between the user and other users. The collaborativediscussion data may be about one or more topics related to the mediacontent. The collaborative discussion data for each of the one or moretopics may be accessed from a separate dedicated network address.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A mobile device application allows a user to participate in acollaborative discussion. The collaborative discussion may allowmultiple users to collaborate in a formatted discussion on a variety oftopics. The collaborative discussion may be associated with mediacontent provided through a media reader application. A user may act asan administrator to create a collaborate discussion and configureparameters or the collaborative discussion via the user's mobile device.A user may access the media content through the media reader applicationand provide input to the collaborative discussion in real time. Themedia may include an electronic book, magazine, article or other mediacontent. The input received from the user may include a comment, vote,brainstorm content, or other data. The collaborative discussion may beaccessed through a mobile device application or a network browser.

Users have access to a web-based collaboration/discussion topic througha network address associated with content, such as website, that isdedicated to the particular topic. The content from the dedicated webpage may be accessed through a web browser application on a computer,mobile device or tablet device, as well as through a mobile deviceapplication such as a media reader application

A collaborative application may provide the link to the network addressfor the collaborative discussion, such that the link may be embedded ina network content page provided by a second remote server, a media filesuch as an e-publication, another platform, or another application,including a remote application. The link may be provided by a mobiledevice, and the content associated with the link may be created by atemplate running at a specific browser-accessed website.

The media content from the dedicated web site may be stored at a remotelocation in one or more servers (i.e., in the “cloud”). When a userrequests to view discussion content, content is rendered locally at theuser's mobile device or computer via a network browser (web browser), orother rendering mechanism, such as a native application and/or mobileapplication, for user participating in the discussion.

FIG. 1A illustrates a system for providing a collaboration system over anetwork. Collaboration system 100 of FIG. 1 includes mobile device 110,130 and 140, network 120, and collaboration server 150. Mobile device110 may communicate with network 120 and be implemented as a smartphone, tablet computer, laptop computer, notebook computer, or othermobile device. Mobile device 100 may include media reader application115 and collaborative application 120. Each of applications 115 and 120may be implemented as one or more applications or modules stored onmobile device 110, or as a single application or module.

Media reader application 115 may be stored in memory and executed by oneor more processors of mobile device 110 to receive, manage and providemedia to a user through mobile device 110. Though the media is storedremotely on one or more remote servers (not illustrated), dataassociated with the media may be provided to the media readerapplication to allow the reader application to render text, video,images, voting results and other data associated with the media. Themedia content handled by media reader application 115 may include anelectronic book, magazine, newspaper, article, text, image, video,audio, graphics, or other media content. Examples of media readerapplications may include the “iBooks” application by Apple Computer,Inc., “Kindle” by Amazon, Inc., and the “Nook” application by Barnes andNoble.

Collaboration application 120 may be stored in memory and executable byone or more processors to provide a user with access to a collaborationdiscussion. Collaboration application 120 may be embedded within mediareader application 115 or executed as a separate application. A user maycreate a collaborative discussion as well as participate in acollaborative discussion. Participating in a discussion may includeproviding comments, media, or other data related to one or more topicsabout media content viewed through media reader 120. The comments anddata (communications) may be provided to collaborative manager 155stored at collaboration server 150 and then transmitted to other usersparticipating in the collaborative discussion.

In some embodiments, a participant in a collaborative discussion mayhave a collaborative application in some form on their device (i.e.,mobile device) but may not have a media reader on their device. In otherembodiments, a first participant may have a first type of media readerand a second participant in the same discussion may have a second typeof media reader.

One or more interfaces associated with the collaborative discussion maybe provided by a network service via a website. The network service mayprovide a plurality of websites such that each website is dedicated to aparticular topic in the collaborative discussion.

Mobile devices 130 and 140 may also communicate with network 120 and mayinclude a media reader and collaborative application (not shown in FIG.1). The users of mobile devices 130 and 140 may view media andparticipate in a collaborative discussion via one or more applicationsexecuting on mobile devices 130 and 140, respectively. The media readerson mobile devices 120, 130 and 140 may be the same media readerapplication or different applications. The users of mobile devices 110,130 and 140 may participate in the same (or different) collaborativediscussions through their respective mobile device applications. Mobiledevice 130 includes a network browser 135. The network browser accessesthe collaborative discussion content for a topic as provided by thetopic's dedicated website and associated URL.

Network 120 may communication with mobile devices 110, 130 and 140 andcollaboration server 150. The network 120 may include one or more of aprivate network, a public network, a local area network (LAN), a widearea network (WAN), the Internet, an intranet, or a combination of thesenetworks. The network 120 may also include one or more cellularnetworks, Wi-Fi networks, and other networks.

Collaboration server 150 may include collaboration manager application155 and communicate with network 120. The collaboration application 155may store data for a particular collaboration project and manage acollaboration discussion created by an administrator. For example,collaboration server 150 may store interface templates, discussiontitle, discussion topics, the title, network address location, andactual content of media related to a topic of the collaborationdiscussion, user account information, user profiles, users participatingin a discussion, communications received from discussion users andprovided to one or more users, user participation analytics or relatedusage data, administrator information for a discussion, and other data.The data may be stored locally at collaboration server 150 and remotely.

Collaboration server may provide a dedicated website for eachcollaborative discussion topic. The dedicated websites may be accessedby network browsers and locally installed collaboration or otherapplications. Links to the dedicated websites may be shared on and byother network services, such as web-based social networking services.

FIG. 1B illustrates an electronic book (e-book) interface 160 as mightbe available from any number of publishers of electronic media. Thee-book in this example is displayed on a tablet computing device. Thee-book of FIG. 1B is for a particular chapter and lists various sectionswithin that chapter. The e-book of FIG. 1B also displays individual pagepreviews 170 as might be found within that chapter. While FIG. 1B is foran e-book, other forms of electronic media might be displayed, includingmagazines, electronic versions of private and public publications (forinstances e-Annual Reports or eMarketing materials) and newspapers.

Content on the tablet computing device of FIG. 1B is typically receivedover a wireless communications channel such as a WiFi or cellularnetwork signal. As a result of being constantly connected to acommunications network, a user may receive new content as soon as thatcontent becomes available. The media content may be “pushed” to theuser's device or pulled by the user's device by a media readerapplication. In some instances, the application may pull the contentfrom a host as the result of a scheduled request or a manual request forupdated content should any be available.

In the course of reading a particular article, a user may becomeparticularly engaged or involved in the article. The user may wish toengage in a collaborative discussion with other readers of the article.A collaborative discussion is distinct from a traditional discussion inthat the various participants, in addition to discussing the selectedmaterial, are also able to engage in or take advantage of a structuredand objective collaborative element such as a “yes or no” vote, thesubmission of a specific suggestion in response to a query, or theselection of one or more items from a list of choices, to name a few.These collaborative contributions bring “objective” elements to theotherwise subjective discussion (for instance, the number of “yes” or“no” votes can be counted, as opposed to a simple list of comments thatrequire subjective analysis).

An advantage of using a mobile device with network connectivity such asa tablet computing device is that the user may engage in that discussionin real-time as they read the article or any portion thereof. Forexample, the interface provided by the collaborative application mayprovide a portion of the media content associated with the one or moretopics, for example a portion of electronic article or book. By allowingfor real-time discussion, the present invention takes advantage of animmediate mindset or a particular emotion or reaction that is invoked bythe book, article, or story.

In some instances, the reaction could simply be discussion of thecontent with other likeminded individuals such as in a book club (anad-hoc book club could literally form in the instant when one readerreaches out to other readers, using the collaborative engagementmechanism described herein). In other instances, the reaction might be acall to action such that the article causes the reader to engage in someproactive activity having been inspired by the article. In otherinstances, the user may simply be providing feedback, which may allow anauthor or host of the content to better tailor the content and make anupdate to the same, thereby resulting in dynamic and user-tailoredcontent. In yet other instances, the reaction might be a concrete countof how many individuals share similar viewpoints or interpretations ofthe answer to a particular query.

This interaction might be achieved through an interface like the exampleshown in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 illustrates a template for starting a discussionrelated to a particular piece of electronically published content. Theinterface of FIG. 2 allows a user to begin a collaboration discussion inthe form of a debate concerning the article, which is reflected ascontent 210 in the interface adjacent to the discussion portion of theinterface. The user creates a topic based discussion type through afirst interface (FIG. 1) provided by a collaboration application and mayprovide their thoughts and other communications in a discussioninterface (FIG. 2). While FIG. 2 is shown in the context of a classdiscussion for a classroom textbook, the template may be modified forany number of users for use in any number of different contexts.

Upon completing their thoughts, the reader may then post those thoughtsand/or other input for the collaborative discussion. Posting may includeproviding input through an interface provided by collaborativeapplication 115, and transmitting the input by collaborative application115 to collaboration manager 155 over network 120. The collaborationmanager 155 may then provide the received input to one or more mobiledevices associated with collaboration applications associated with theparticular collaboration discussion.

Collaborative discussions may be posted in different formats as providedfor by the interface shown in FIG. 3. By posting a discussion in ane-book format or some other mobile-device application based format, auser may engage in a discussion with other users utilizing a similarreader applications, which may be implemented on a similar or series ofcomputing devices. In this regard, a particular reader application orfunctionality implemented in a third-party application may be availableover a number of different computing devices and not native to aparticular hardware device.

By posting in a format as shown in FIG. 3, a user may be able to engagein a discussion with users that do not have a media reader applicationor collaboration discussion application installed on a their mobile orcomputing device. These readers may access the same collaborativediscussion content in a different format of the discussion, but stillengage in the same discussion via a traditional web browser application,which may be accessed on any computing device including laptop anddesktop computers, which may not be as mobile as a tablet device.Content pages or web pages may be provided to computing devices forrendering and interaction through the web browser by collaborationmanager application 155 of server 150 in FIG. 1. In this way, a largeruniverse of readers may take part of the discussion (including those whodo in fact participate via the native experience on an e-book or othere-publication reader application on a mobile device).

A further means of sharing the discussion may occur in the context ofFIG. 4. FIG. 4 illustrates an interface for sharing discussions over anynumber of communications mediums or network based social networkservices. The interface is provided by a tool for sharing discussionsover any number of communications mediums or social network servicessuch as email, Google+, Facebook, and Twitter, and so forth. Acollaboration application may include a built-in mechanism to generate aURL link to the web-based discussion, which may be shared using one ofthe aforementioned communications mediums or networks. In this way,users who might not already be a part of the discussion or reading thecontent can become engaged. This distribution, to potential readers orcollaborators, of the URL link to the stand-alone web-based location ofthe selected collaborative discussion provides a way that any recipientof any collaborative discussion can forward access to said discussion toany other individual via social network services, email, Twitter-likebroadcasting services, or any other distribution modality regardless ofwhether any particular recipient has access to a tablet or other mobilecomputing device.

For example, FIG. 1B is for a classroom textbook, which is likely onlyto be read by those taking the class. A discussion that comes from thatclassroom interaction, however, may affect people and groups outside ofthe class. A member of the discussion may elect to open the discussionup to the wider public and beyond those students in the class that areusing the e-book reader and/or accessing the classroom material anddiscussion over the Internet. The member may do so by using a sharingtool like the one shown in FIG. 4. Use of the tool in FIG. 4 may beassociated with certain restrictions such as read only, moderatedcomments, or the like, in light of the fact that the original discussionmay be specifically focused on a classroom topic.

Additional sharing or collaboration features may be as part of acollaborative discussion provided over a network. For example, FIGS. 5-7illustrate examples of interfaces provided by a mobile devicecollaboration application for receiving input regarding a particulardiscussion. FIG. 5 illustrates an interface 500 for prioritizing choiceswithin a collaborative discussion. Interface 500 allows a user toprovide a topic title, description, and items to prioritize. Theinterface of FIG. 5 also provides one or more media content pages toreference in association with the input provided.

FIG. 6 illustrates 600 an interface that allows for brainstorming onvarious aspects of a discussion. Interface 600 utilizing a structuremethod of collecting various inputted ideas by receiving a topic titleand description. The interface of FIG. 6 provides one or more mediacontent pages to allow a user to reference in association with the inputprovided. After the title and description are received, participants mayvote and rank the various inputted ideas.

FIG. 7 illustrates an interface 700 which allows for a user to choose anoption from a list and discuss why they made that choice. Interface 700receives input of a topic title, description, and option selections froma user. The interface allows a user to reference a page of media contentin association with the user's input.

FIG. 8 illustrates an interface 800 for providing collaborativediscussion content. For example, the interface of FIG. 8 providesvarious aspects for debating, prioritizing, brainstorming, and choosingan action. Interface 800 provides information including a discussiontitle, the user's response to the discussion and responses provided byother users as part of the discussion. The discussion title is“Analyzing Human Impact on Terrestrial Biomes” and the user's responseis “forest” followed by a description and the other responses include“tundra” and “grasslands.” The interface 800 also provides votingresults for different selections provided as part of the collaborativediscussion. For example, “Forest” received 13 votes for 51%, “Tundra”received 7 votes for 27%, “Grassland” received 3 votes for 11%, and“Desert” received 3 votes for 11%.

FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary computing system 900 that may be used toimplement a computing device for use with the present technology. System900 of FIG. 9 may be implemented in the contexts of the likes of server150 FIG. 1. The computing system 900 of FIG. 9 includes one or moreprocessors 910 and memory 920. Main memory 920 stores, in part,instructions and data for execution by processor 910. Main memory 920can store the executable code when in operation. The system 900 of FIG.9 further includes a mass storage device 930, portable storage mediumdrive(s) 940, output devices 950, user input devices 960, a graphicsdisplay 970, and peripheral devices 980.

The components shown in FIG. 9 are depicted as being connected via asingle bus 990. However, the components may be connected through one ormore data transport means. For example, processor unit 910 and mainmemory 920 may be connected via a local microprocessor bus, and the massstorage device 930, peripheral device(s) 980, portable storage device940, and display system 970 may be connected via one or moreinput/output (I/O) buses.

Mass storage device 930, which may be implemented with a magnetic diskdrive or an optical disk drive, is a non-volatile storage device forstoring data and instructions for use by processor unit 910. Massstorage device 930 can store the system software for implementingembodiments of the present invention for purposes of loading thatsoftware into main memory 920.

Portable storage device 940 operates in conjunction with a portablenon-volatile storage medium, such as a floppy disk, compact disk orDigital video disc, to input and output data and code to and from thecomputer system 900 of FIG. 9. The system software for implementingembodiments of the present invention may be stored on such a portablemedium and input to the computer system 900 via the portable storagedevice 940.

Input devices 960 provide a portion of a user interface. Input devices960 may include an alpha-numeric keypad, such as a keyboard, forinputting alpha-numeric and other information, voice recognitionsoftware (to permit direct, user verbal input) or a pointing device,such as a mouse, a trackball, stylus, or cursor direction keys.Additionally, the system 900 as shown in FIG. 9 includes output devices950. Examples of suitable output devices include speakers, printers,network interfaces, and monitors.

Display system 970 may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) or othersuitable display device. Display system 970 receives textual andgraphical information, and processes the information for output to thedisplay device.

Peripherals 980 may include any type of computer support device to addadditional functionality to the computer system. For example, peripheraldevice(s) 980 may include a modem or a router.

The components contained in the computer system 900 of FIG. 9 are thosetypically found in computer systems that may be suitable for use withembodiments of the present invention and are intended to represent abroad category of such computer components that are well known in theart. Thus, the computer system 900 of FIG. 9 can be a personal computer,hand held computing device, telephone, mobile computing device,workstation, server, minicomputer, mainframe computer, or any othercomputing device. The computer can also include different busconfigurations, networked platforms, multi-processor platforms, etc.Various operating systems can be used including Unix, Linux, Windows,Macintosh OS, Palm OS, and other suitable operating systems.

FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary mobile device system 1000 that may beused to implement a mobile device for use with the present technology,such as for mobile devices 110, 130 and 140. The mobile device 1000 ofFIG. 10 includes one or more processors 1010 and memory 1012. Memory1012 stores, in part, programs, instructions and data for execution andprocessing by processor 1010. The system 1000 of FIG. 10 furtherincludes storage 1014, one or more antennas 1016, a display system 1018,inputs 1020, one or more microphones 1022, and one or more speakers1024.

The components shown in FIG. 10 are depicted as being connected via asingle bus 1026. However, the components 1010-1024 may be connectedthrough one or more data transport means. For example, processor unit1010 and main memory 1012 may be connected via a local microprocessorbus, and storage 1014, display system 1018, input 1020, and microphone1022 and speaker 1024 may be connected via one or more input/output(I/O) buses.

Memory 1012 may include local memory such as RAM and ROM, portablememory in the form of an insertable memory card or other attachment(e.g., via universal serial bus), a magnetic disk drive or an opticaldisk drive, a form of FLASH or PROM memory, or other electronic storagemedium. Memory 1012 can store the system software for implementingembodiments of the present invention for purposes of loading thatsoftware into main memory 1010.

Antenna 1016 may include one or more antennas for communicatingwirelessly with another device. Antenna 1016 may be used, for example,to communicate wirelessly via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, with a cellular network,or with other wireless protocols and systems. The one or more antennasmay be controlled by a processor 1010, which may include a controller,to transmit and receive wireless signals. For example, processor 1010execute programs stored in memory 1012 to control antenna 1016 transmita wireless signal to a cellular network and receive a wireless signalfrom a cellular network.

Display system 1018 may include a liquid crystal display (LCD), a touchscreen display, or other suitable display device. Display system 1070may be controlled to display textual and graphical information andoutput to text and graphics through a display device. When implementedwith a touch screen display, the display system may receive input andtransmit the input to processor 1010 and memory 1012.

Input devices 1020 provide a portion of a user interface. Input devices1060 may include an alpha-numeric keypad, such as a keyboard, forinputting alpha-numeric and other information, buttons or switches, atrackball, stylus, or cursor direction keys.

Microphone 1022 may include one or more microphone devices whichtransmit captured acoustic signals to processor 1010 and memory 1012.The acoustic signals may be processed to transmit over a network viaantenna 1016.

Speaker 1024 may provide an audio output for mobile device 1000. Forexample, a signal received at antenna 1016 may be processed by a programstored in memory 1012 and executed by processor 1010. The output of theexecuted program may be provided to speaker 1024 which provides audio.Additionally, processor 1010 may generate an audio signal, for examplean audible alert, and output the audible alert through speaker 1024.

The mobile device system 1000 as shown in FIG. 10 may include devicesand components in addition to those illustrated in FIG. 10. For example,mobile device system 1000 may include an additional network interfacesuch as a universal serial bus (USB) port.

The components contained in the computer system 1000 of FIG. 10 arethose typically found in mobile device systems that may be suitable foruse with embodiments of the present invention and are intended torepresent a broad category of such mobile device components that arewell known in the art. Thus, the computer system 1000 of FIG. 10 can bea cellular phone, smart phone, hand held computing device, minicomputer,or any other computing device. The mobile device can also includedifferent bus configurations, networked platforms, multi-processorplatforms, etc. Various operating systems can be used including Unix,Linux, Windows, Macintosh OS, Google OS, Palm OS, and other suitableoperating systems.

The foregoing detailed description of the technology herein has beenpresented for purposes of illustration and description. It is notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the technology to the precise formdisclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light ofthe above teaching. The described embodiments were chosen in order tobest explain the principles of the technology and its practicalapplication to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilizethe technology in various embodiments and with various modifications asare suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that thescope of the technology be defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for engaging in a collaborativeengagement, the method comprising: storing electronically publishedcontent in one or more servers; allowing a plurality of users to accessby way of a computing device the electronically published content,wherein the electronically published content is updated dynamically; andproviding a platform on which the plurality of users are capable ofengaging in real-time collaborations or discussions concerning theelectronically published content.